§ 8. Mr. Tony McWalter (Hemel Hempstead)If he has plans to require senior police officers to confirm whether or not they are freemasons; and if he will make a statement. [61097]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Kate Hoey)All police officers, of whatever rank, will be asked to disclose whether they are freemasons as part of the Government's policy to set up voluntary registers across the criminal justice system.
§ Mr. McWalterI thank my hon. Friend for her answer. Indeed, I commend the work on freemasonry that my right hon. and hon. Friends on the Government Front Bench have been carrying out. Will my hon. Friend bear in mind the fact that a society that is secret and deemed to have extensive powers is capable of precipitating real fear in society? Indeed, some Members have told me that I was courageous to table the question. In these circumstances, I hope that my hon. Friend will bear it in mind that a voluntary code may not be enough and that the timetable that she is suggesting may be much too lenient.
§ Kate HoeyI thank my hon. Friend. We are committed to a voluntary scheme. Clearly, compulsory steps requiring employees in the criminal justice system to disclose freemasonry membership will be introduced only if a review of the voluntary register arrangements show that they have not been effective.
§ Mr. Tim Boswell (Daventry)I can assure the House that I have absolutely no direct interest in the matter, but will the Minister reflect on the unwisdom of singling out any particular group that happens to be a minority, because the principle could be extended to other minorities in terms of the practice of their religion, to ethnic minorities, or, in extremis, even to old Labour?
§ Kate HoeyAs the hon. Gentleman is aware, there is a perception that any secret organisation might have something to hide. Clearly, it is in the interests of the criminal justice system to be open and accountable. The voluntary way forward—voluntary registers—has so far received support from all the chief constables and is the right way forward. I do not think that anyone is suggesting that, just because someone registers membership of an organisation, it in any way implies that that person has done something wrong.